Latch



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E'. S. WINCHESTER.

- LATCH.

No. 416,308. Patented Dec. 3, 1889'.

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, LATCH;

Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

(No Model.)

E. S. WINGHESTER.

N. FEYERS. Fhowlnhngnphur. wnshingtun. n. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD S. lVINCHESTER, OF DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part of Letters Patent No. 416,308, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed February 14, 1889. Serial No. 299,899. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. VINOHES- TER, of Dorchester, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Door-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of latches represented in an application led by me on the 14th day of February, 1889, Serial No. 299,900, in which a pivoted latch-bolt is maintained in a retracted position against the iniluence of a projecting spring by a detent or catch, which is arranged to'be lifted out of contact with the latch-bolt by a releasing device acting thereon in a lateral direction when the door encounters the door-jamb.

In the present invention a spring detent or catch is arranged to frictionally engage a swinging latch-'bolt on its end, so that the same can be held thereby at any point in its path of movement, the said detent being combined with a releasing device acting laterally thereon to release the bolt.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure l is a horizontal cross section through my improved lock and a portion of the door-jamb. Fig. 2 is a section of the same on the line .fr x. Fig. 3 is a section on the line y y.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the lock-casing, consisting, as usual, of the outer casing a and the inner casing a.

B and B represent the inner and outer knobs, respectively, the former provided with the shank b and the latter with the spindle Z2', which passes therethrough and is screwed or otherwise suitably fastened to the knob B.

C is a spring located on the spindle between the shank and the knob to prevent end motion of these parts.

D are tumblers formed on the shank, as usual, by which reciprocating frames E E are operated in a manner similar to my application above referred to.

F represents a latch-bolt pivoted in the end of the casing by the pivot-pin f and formed with the side walls f f2 and an end wall f3.

G represents a spring for projecting the latch-bolt, which encircles the pivot-pin and bears on the latch-bolt and casing of the latch, respectively.

Il' represents a bail pivoted between tho walls of the latch-bolt and extending therefrom in position to be engaged by t-he reciprocating frames E E.

The foregoing parts are in all respects identical with the corresponding parts in my application above referred to, and it will suflice to merely refer to them incidentally herein.

I represents a spring detent or catch having one end securely fastened to the inner face of the,outer casing a and extending therefrom in the path of theouter curved end of the swinging latch-bolt. This detent is arranged to bear on the outer end of the swinging latchbolt and to frictionally hold the same until lifted out of contact therewith bya releasing device, hereinafter described. It will be ob served that by means of this detent, arranged in the manner, shown, the bolt may be either held in a wholly-retracted position Aor in a partially-retracted position, as desired. As the bolt is usually wholly retracted, I have provided the detent with a projection or a shoulder f, adapted to engage within a notch t, formed in the outer surface of the latchbolt, the position of the notch with relation to the shoulder being such that the latter will enter the notch when the bolt is wholly retracted. This construction enables the spring to more securely hold the latch and serves as a stop to limit the inward motion.

In order that the detent may be lifted out of contact with the latch-bolt to release the same, I provide the sliding plate K, which is mounted in the en d of the casing. This plate is provided with the central tongue la, which extends between the walls of the latch in contact. with the free end of the detent, as shown. It is further provided on either sideof the central tongue with the two tongues 7c and 7o 2, which extend forward, and serve to guide the plate.

I. represents a plate or projection secured to the janib of the door in position to encounter the end of the plate K when the door is closed, and acts to push the plate inward and lift the 'detent out of engagement with the latch-bolt, and thus release the same.

, It is to be understood that I do not conline myself to the exact construction shown for frictionally holding the latch-bolt, as the same IOO can be variously modified without departing` from the limits of my invention, the essence of which consists in a detent arranged to bear on the outer end of a swinging;- latch-bolt and to frictionally hold the saine in any position to which it may be retracted.

Having` thus described my invention, what-I claim is l. In a latch, the latch-bolt pivoted at one end and having its opposite end free to move in the arc of a circle, a spring for projecting said latch-bolt, suitable mechanism for retracting the same, and a detent arranged to bear on the end of the latch-bolt and to frietionally hold the same in any position to which it may be retracted, in combination with the lateral releasing,` device adapted to lift the detent out ot' engagement with the latclrbolt.

ICINVARI) S. WINCHES'IER.

Witnesses:

HARRY W. AIKEN, EDWIN F. Encnfr'r. 

